Commentary: It was 4AM when I started watching an Occupy Long Beach Live Stream video. It was dark outside my window; it was night time on the video. I thought I was watching arrests happening at Lincoln Park at that very moment. A small crowd of protesters were loudly chanting “the whole world is watching” as peace officers were leading a young man away from a tent. I thought it odd that LBPD officers waited until 4AM to arrest protesters who were in violation of local laws regarding camping and vacating park at 10PM. It would be a stretch to claim the whole world is watching, even local residents were likely asleep at that hour.
Of course, I realize the video being streamed could go viral on the World Wide Web possibly being watched by people from countries around the world, hence the chant. Perhaps it was the early hour, the chanting got on my nerves and I muted sound on my computer. I felt sorry for the officers; wondered if the protesters would be cited for violation of Long Beach’s Noise Ordinance and disturbing the peace. I also pondered the effect that shouting would have on a police officer’s psyche; perhaps that is why they often turn violent at protests or assigned to crowd control.
When the Occupy Long Beach Live Steam video screen went blank, I checked local online news papers. There was no news about the arrests. It was not until a few days later, I learned that although the video may have been streamed live, it had been filmed at an earlier date I checked Long Beach (California) Police Department website which had one Press Release mentioning arrests at the park. I relocated the OLB Live Stream video, watching it again. It appears the video was taped on the evening of October 16, 2011 starting around 10PM, corresponding to the LBPD Press Release #2011 dated October 17, 2011.
The Press Release estimates that there were 75 people and 10 tents set up in the park when they began loud speaker warnings at 9:45pm. It states orders to leave the park or face arrest for violating city ordinance continued for an hour at which time police moved into the park. It continues:
“Once officers moved into the park, most of the subjects exited the park and onto the sidewalk. Officers discovered one person in one tent and three in another. When officers contacted these subjects inside their tents, they were given still another opportunity to leave, however, they chose to be arrested instead of complying with the officer’s request to vacate the park.
As officers searched the rest of the tents, the group chanted and yelled in defiance of police.”
Some of the chanting was in unison. Those chants included, but not limited to:
You are in violation of the first amendment.
Why do we have a first amendment?
You’re one of the 99% too.
We are non-violent
We are peaceful.
You can’t arrest an idea.
Others seemed to be lead by either a single person or group of shouters, with refrains from others, such as:
Tell me what democracy looks like.
This is what democracy looks like.
Let them stay.
We are the 99%.
Let them stay.
You are the 99%.
Long Beach
Occupy
Occupy
Long Beach, Long Beach
Other chants were less orchestrated, clashing with the main group of chanters, or a single voice yelling something.
Where is cheese? McDonalds. Cheese.
Where is Mayor Bob Foster?
You’re ruining the video.
The protesters may be non-violent, but I question their claim to peacefullness. Explained quickly by a *Bible quote: “An answer when mild turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger come up.” Also explained by Noise Ordinances which label loud talking, yelling, shouting as disturbing the peace. Especially disturbing to others when that type of noise happens as they are trying to sleep.
Yes, this is what democracy looks like: break a law, get cited or arrested. They know this; the protesters delibertly choose civil disobedience. Is Occupy Wall Street about changing local laws or about confronting the government regarding corrupt policies involving wealthy corporations and bank bailouts? Taunting local police officers who are simply enforcing city laws, serves no purpose except to perhaps “make anger come up”. How peaceful is that?
Imagine those who do not understand or disagree with the movement; will those people be likely to open their ears and listen to the message when the protesters act like disrespectful juveniles rather than responsible adults? An old saying is: You catch more flies with honey. A more recent one is: You can not expect to antagonize people and influence them at the same time. Actions do indeed speak louder than words; deliberately disturbing the peace of others is not the mark of a person who claims to be peaceful.
The whole world may not be watching the Occupy Long Beach protesters, but they are watching the movement in general. The protesters would do well to consider the image they are projecting.
*Proverbs 15.1 wording varies depending upon Bible version.
For more information about the protest, view photographs or join the movement, visit Occupy Long Beach website.
Supporting Links
Occupy Long Beach Live Stream
LBPD Press Release #2011